Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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I sometimes wish that I could take sheets of newspaper and cover floor length mirrors. This is not due to any vanity on my part nor hesitancy to see exactly what I look like from the back when I am cleaning the toilet, nor frustration from when I am looking my most charming while doing aerobics, although that has been the case in the past. No, my motive for covering mirrors would be utterly different.

I have discovered that children who have mirrors as closet doors spend a good deal of time looking into them. This is not a problem when the child is happy or when they are watching how they look when they dance, but it is a giant problem when the child is upset.

If I could read their mind, I'm sure it would go something like this:

Waaaah! Waaaaaah! I don't remember why I am crying but I look perfectly miserable in the mirror, so I must be. Waaaah! Waaaaah! No, I can't close my eyes to go to sleep, because then I couldn't see how miserable I am supposed to be.

or

I'm mad. Don't I look charming when I am mad? It is a good thing that I am mad at my babysitter because I think I look cool when I am mad.

I'm just glad I don't have to babysit in a house of mirrors.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Have you tried recording the cries? I've heard (from a reliable source) that playing back recorded cries soothes a baby. Apparently visual feedback does not work the same way...
8:14 AM
slowlane said…
I think it only works on infants (not that I've actually tried it.
10:52 AM
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